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On two wheels or four, it has been a year to remember in the world of motorsports. Here we give a brief rundown on how the past 12 months have panned out.

MotoGP

'Italian Stallion' Valentino Rossi (pictured) enthralled his legions of fans with nine wins, including five on the trot between July and September, to record his sixth MotoGP crown and eighth across all world championship classes. His Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo had a sensational beginning to his rookie year with three immediate podium finishes - winning his maiden race at Estoril - and fought off another brilliant newcomer Andrea Dovizioso of JiR Team Scot to finish fourth in the championship. Two-times World Superbikes champion James Toseland flew the flag for Great Britain at Yamaha Tech 3 and had a good start to his debut season before a somewhat stop-start record for the remainder as he adjusted to the rigours of the two-wheeled top flight. Marco Melandri suffered a torrid time on the Ducati factory bike.

World Superbikes

Troy Bayliss bade the sport farewell with a third WSB crown, and the fans will forever hail the manner of his departure. Starting from pole in Portugal, he went on to secure a double race win, his 10th and 11th of the season, with a sensational performance on the new Portimao track. The consistency of Bayliss's Australian compatriot and namesake Troy Corser saw him claim second without a single race win, while Noriyuki Haga was third with seven triumphs. Brits Leon Haslam, Tom Sykes, Jonathan Rea, Shane Byrne and Tommy Hill have all secured rides for 2009, with the first three having appeared as wildcards in 2008.

World Supersport rider Craig Jones died after a crash at Brands Hatch in August. A corner was named in his memory at Portimao. He was 23 years of age.

British Superbikes

Shane Byrne ultimately ran away with the title, like Bayliss clinching it with a double race win at Brands Hatch. Leon Haslam, World Supersport-bound Cal Crutchlow and Tom Sykes were behind him in the standings and provided fans with moments of drama and brilliance during a brave and exciting campaign - all leave the series with fond memories.

World Rally Championship

Before the shock departures of Suzuki and Subaru, French legend Sebastien Loeb sealed a brilliant fifth WRC title with Citroen. His final-round maiden victory in terrible conditions at the Rally Wales GB, where he passed Jari-Matti Latvala on the final stage, helped secure the manufacturers' crown for the French outfit and also set a record 11 world rally victories for a driver in a single season. Finn Mikko Hirvonen, who fought for the title, became the first driver to win points on every stage of a WRC season.

Intercontinental Rally Challenge

Nicolas Vouilloz of France won the IRC title in the penultimate round in Switzerland and decided not to travel to the final round in China, which was won by Jarkko Miettinen of Finland. Freddy Loix and Giandomenico Basso were joint second in the standings, just two points ahead of Luca Rosetti.

World Touring Car Championship

Yvan Muller claimed the WTCC crown with two podium finishes at the season-ending meeting in Macau as Briton Andy Priaulx surrendered the title he had held for the previous three seasons. Gabriele Tarquini pushed Muller all the way while another Briton Robert Huff sneaked ahead of Priaulx and almost past the Italian with a stunning victory in the final race.

British Touring Car Championship

Fabrizio Giovanardi was mightily impressive in defending his BTCC title and enjoyed the perfect start with a double victory at Brands Hatch. His 2007 rival Jason Plato had to learn a new car and was dominant in the second half of the campaign, but ultimately finished behind British compatriot Mat Jackson while holding off another Briton Colin Turkington as all four vied for the championship.

Jon Symcox / Eurosport